Nucleotide sequences of actinomycetales, oligonucleotides of said sequences and their use for detecting the presence of actinomycetales

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to nucleotide sequences of Actinomycetales, in particular of mycobacteria, to oligonucleotides contained within said nucleotide sequences, to their uses as primers for the synthesis of Actinomycetales DNA and as probes for the detection of DNA and/or the transcription products of Actinomycetales, in particular of mycobacteria, to the products of expression of said sequences, to their uses and to antibodies directed towards the said products, to a method for detecting and identifying Actinomycetales and its uses, as well as to immunogenic compositions comprising the said expression products.

The present invention relates to nucleotide sequences of Actinomycetales, in particular of mycobacteria, to oligonucleotides contained within the said sequences, to their uses as primers for the synthesis of Actinomycetales DNA and as probes for the detection of DNA and/or of the transcription products of Actinomycetales, in particular of mycobacteria, to the products of expression of the said sequences, to their uses and to antibodies directed towards the said products, to a method for detecting and identifying Actinomycetales and its uses, as well as to immunogenic compositions comprising the said expression products.

Tuberculosis and leprosy are known to be major public health problems. They are currently approximately 60×10⁶ individuals suffering from tuberculosis in the world (with an annual mortality of 3×10⁶), and approximately 15×10⁶ individuals suffering from leprosy. In France, approximately 10⁴ new cases of tuberculosis appear every year. Vaccination with BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin, an attenuated strain of M. bovis) is far from effective in all populations. This efficacy varies approximately from 80% in Western countries such as England to 0% in India (results of the latest vaccination trial in Chingleput). The appearance of strains of M. tuberculosis resistant to the usual antituberculosis agents and the existence of mycobacterioses due to other, increasingly common mycobacteria such as M. avium, especially in patients with immunosuppression (AIDS in the largest number of cases), add to the urgency of developing a rapid method of detecting and identifying mycobacteria.

The diagnosis of tuberculosis and other related mycobacterioses is difficult to carry out; in effect the microorganisms responsible for these diseases are often present in small amounts, and when the amount of them is detectable by the methods conventionally used, the disease is already progressing and the patients are contagious to those around them. As a result of the very long generation time of these bacteria (24 h for M. tuberculosis compared with 20 min for E. coli), culturing these organisms is difficult. Thus, it requires 6 to 8 weeks to identify the microorganisms, and longer to obtain an antibiogram usable for appropriate treatment of the patients. The need for a detection test not requiring culturing of the microorganisms, and directly usable with the pathological samples even when the microorganisms are present therein at low concentrations, is hence essential.

Several techniques are currently used in clinical practice for identifying a mycobacterial infection.

In the first place, direct detection of the microorganisms in the microscope should be mentioned; this technique is rapid, but does not permit identification of the mycobacterial species observed, and lacks sensitivity in as much as a large number of microorganisms have to be present in the sample (>10⁴ /ml) in order to permit reliable detection (RATES J., CHEST, 1979, 76, (suppl.), 757-763).

Cultures, when positive, have a specificity approaching 100%, and permit identification of the mycobacterial species isolated; nevertheless, as specified above, growth of mycobacteria in vitro can be achieved only in the space of 3 to 6 weeks, and when few mycobacteria are present at the site of infection, repeated culturing is necessary in order to ensure a positive result (BATES J., 1979 and BATES J. et al., Am. Rev. Respir. Dis., 1986, 134, 415-417).

Serological techniques can prove useful under some conditions, but their use is limited by their low sensitivity and/or their low specificity (DANIEL T. M. et al., Am. Rev. Respir. Dis., 1987, 135, 1137-1151).

The presence or absence of mycobacteria may also be determined by hybridisation with DNA or RNA using probes specific for DNA sequences (KIEHN T. E. et al., J. Clin. Microbiol., 1987, 25, 1551-1552; ROBERTS M. C. et al., J. Clin. Microbiol., 1987, 25, 1239-1243; DRAKE T. A. et al., J. Clin. Microbiol., 1987, 25, 1442-1445). However, these methods also require culturing of the microorganisms.

Some DNA sequences of various mycobacteria, and in particular some genes coding for mycobacterial antigens have been described. There may be mentioned, in particular, PCT International Application WO 88/00,974, whose inventor is YOUNG R. and the content of which is recapitulated in a paper published in Nature, 1985, 316, 450; these publications describe the genes coding for five immunodominant antigens of M. leprae and, in particular, the gene coding for the 65-kD antigen has been sequenced. There may also be mentioned PCT International Application WO 88/05,823, whose co-inventors are HUSSON R., YOUNG R. and SHINNICK T. and the content of which is recapitulated in the paper published in J. Bact., 1987, 169, 1080-1088 and which describes the genes of M. tuberculosis coding for protein antigens, and in particular for the 65-kD antigen. This International Application specifies, in particular, that the genes of M. tuberculosis coding for five immunologically active proteins were isolated by systematic screening of a recombinant DNA library expressed in a bacteriophage lambda gt11, with a collection of monoclonal antibodies directed towards the protein antigens of this bacterium. One of the antigens of M. tuberculosis, a 65-kD protein possesses determinants common to M. tuberculosis and M. leprae.

PCT International Application WO 88/06,591, a co-inventor of which is, in particular, T. SHINNICK, describes a recombinant protein of 540 amino acids (65-kD protein) and also the DNA sequence and the vectors for the expression of the said protein, as well as the uses of the said recombinant protein. This Application also describes peptides corresponding to sequences of this protein and their uses.

Genes coding for proteins of other mycobacteria (M. africanum, M. smegmatis, M. bovis BCG and M. avium) have also been isolated. There may be mentioned, in particular, THOLE et al. (Infect. Immunol., 1987, 55, 1466-1475), who have described a 64-kD protein of M. bovis BCG expressed in E. coli.

However, the amounts of mycobacterial DNA present in most biological samples are insufficient to give a positive signal; this technique has hence proved unsuitable for the identification of mycobacterial DNA extracted directly from biological samples.

A number of studies have also shown some degree of structural homology between the different mycobacteria. However, differences in the DNA sequence of M. tuberculosis and M. bovis have been described in the 3' region of the open reading frame of the 65-kD antigen (SHINNICK et al., 1987, THOLE et al., 1987), but a homologous region has not been observed in the DNA of M. leprae (MEHRA et al., Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA, 1986, 83, 7013-7017, also PCT 88/000,974).

There are also publications which describe vaccines against mycobacteria, produced by genetic engineering; there may be mentioned, in particular, PCT International Application WO 88/02,027, which describes recombinant poxviruses capable of expressing mycobacterial antigens and which enable a protective immunological response to mycobacteria to be obtained.

The various detection methods of the prior art do not permit, on the one hand the detection and rapid identification of an Actinomycetales infection directly from a biological sample, and on the other hand the specific identification of groups, species or strains, which may even be present in small amounts.

The additional references which follow also constitute the state of the art prior to the present invention.

BAESS I., Acta Path. Microbiol. Scand., 1979, 87, 221-226; BEAUCAGE S. L. et al., Tetrahedron Lett., 1981, 22, 1859-1862; EISENACH K. D. et al., Am. Rev. Respir. Dis., 1986, 133, 1065-1068; GHEORGHIU M. et al., J. Biol. Standardization, 1988, 16, 15-26; GLASSROTH J. et al., N. Engl. J. Med., 1980, 302, 1441-1450; HAWKINS C. C. et al., Ann. Intern. Med., 1985, 105, 184-188; IMAEDA T., Int. J. Systematic Bacteriol., 1985, 35, 147-150; IMAEDA T. et al., Int. J. Systematic Bacteriol., 1988, 38, 151-156; KOGAN S. C. et al., N. Engl. J. Med., 1987, 317, 985-990; LI H. et al., Nature (Lond.), 1988, 335, 414-417; LU M. C. et al., Infect. Immun., 1987, 55, 2378-2382; MANIATIS T. et al., 1982, Cold Spring Harbor, New York; McFADDEN J. J. et al., Mol. Microbiol., 1987, 1, 283-291; PAO C. C. et al., Tubercle, 1988, 69, 27-36; PATEL R., J. Gen. Microbiol., 1986, 132, 541-551; SAIKI R. K. et al., Science, 1988, 239, 487-491; SANGER F. et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 1977, 74, 5463-5467; SMIDA J. et al., Int. J. Leprosy, 1988, 56, 449-454; THEIN S. L. et al., in Human Genetic Diseases, 1986, IRL Press, 33-50; THOLE J. E. R. et al., Infect. Immun., 1985, 50, 800-806; WATSON E. A., Canad. J. Pub. Health, 1935, 26, 268-275; WOLINSKY E., Am. Rev. Respir. Dis, 1979, 119, 107-159.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows the hybridisation of amplified DNA of M. bovis (B), M. avium (A) and M. fortuitum (F) with the specific probes TB-4 (SEQ ID NO:12), TB-5 (SEQ ID NO:13) and TB-6 (SEQ ID NO:14), respectively.

FIG. 2 shows the DNA sequences of the amplified fragments obtained from the gene coding for the 65 kD antigen of M. bovis, M. avium, M. paratuberculosis and M. fortuitum.

FIGS. 3a-3d show a number of restriction sites of the fragments of 343 nucleotides contained within the gene encoding the 65 kD antigen of M. avium (FIG. 3a), M. fortuitum (FIG. 3b), M. paratuberculosis (FIG. 3c) and M. bovis (FIG. 3d).

FIGS. 4a and 4b show a gel and a dot blot, respectively, demonstrating results for the detection assay for DNA extracted from samples containing 10⁶ human mononuclear blood cells and 6×10⁵ (column 1), 6×10⁴ (column 2), 6×10³ (column 3), 600 (column 4) 60 (column 5) and 6 (column 6) M. bovis bacilli, and amplified using Taq polymerase and the oligonucleotide primers TB-1 (SEQ ID NO:9) and TB-2 (SEQ ID NO:10).

FIG. 5 shows the detection of amplified mycobacterial DNA sequences by the oligonucleotide restriction test wherein purified mycobacterial DNA is amplified and equivalent amounts of the amplified product from M. avium (columns 1∝5), M. bovis BCG (column 6) and M. fortuitum (column 7) are evaluated.

FIG. 6 shows the results from the analysis of mycobacterial DNA in a sputum specimen wherein DNA purified from M. tuberculosis (T), M. avium (A) and from M. fortuitum (F) and DNA extracted from sputum samples which yielded a negative culture (columns 1-6) or a positive culture for M. tuberculosis (columns 7 and 8) was amplified using Taq polymerase in the case of PCR or using another polymerase and the oligonucleotides TB-1 (SEQ ID NO:9) and TB-2 (SEQ ID NO:10).

The aim of the present invention is accordingly to provide a detection and identification method enabling small amounts of DNA extracted from microorganisms, themselves present in limited numbers, to be detected, the method being rapid and enabling Actinomycetales infection, and in particular a mycobacterial infection, a Nocardia infection or a Rhodococcus infection, to be identified directly in pathological samples without having to carry out culturing.

The subject of the present invention is a nucleotide sequence derived from Actinomycetales, characterised in that it consists of a homologous sequence of a gene common to Actinomycetales chosen from the group comprising mycobacteria, Nocardia and Rhodococcus, within which sequence there are conserved regions and variable regions, and in that it comprises between 250 and 500 base pairs.

Nucleotide sequence is understood, in the present invention, to mean both a double-stranded DNA sequence, a single-stranded DNA sequence and the products of transcription of the said DNA sequences.

Actinomycetales is understood, in the sense used in the present invention, to mean both Actinomycetaceae such as Nocardia and Mycobacteriaceae or Rhodococcus.

There are at least 50 species of mycobacteria divided into several groups. In the present invention, the group comprising M. bovis BCG, M. bovis, M. tuberculosis, M. africanum and M. microti is referred to as the tuberculosis bacillus group; and the group comprising M. avium, M. intracellulare and M. paratuberculosis is referred to as the MAIP group.

Comparison of the nucleotide sequences of the different groups and/or species has enabled identical or similar fragments to be demonstrated within a gene common to the different groups, and a homology to be defined between the different sequences.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the said sequence possesses an at least 80% homology with the gene coding for the 65-kD mycobacterial antigen.

According to an advantageous variant of this embodiment, the said sequence comprise 383 base pairs homologous in at least 8 species of mycobacteria, namely M. tuberculosis, M. avium, M. fortuitum, M. paratuberculosis, BCG, M. kansasii, M. malmoense and M. marinum.

The 383 base pairs correspond to the expression product having an amino acid sequence of the following formula (I): SEQ ID NO:1) ##STR1## in which: X₁ is non-existent or represents the sequence ASP-PRO,

X₂ represents LYS or GLU,

X₃ represents GLY or ALA,

X₄ represents GLY or ARG,

X₅ represents ALA or VAL,

X₆ represents ALA or ARG,

X₇ represents ARG or LYS,

X₈ represents PRO or LEU,

X₉ represents GLY or SER,

X₁₀ represents LEU or PHE,

X₁₁ represents ARG or CYS,

X₁₂ represents LYS or ALA,

X₁₃ represents GLU or ALA,

X₁₄ represents THR or LYS,

X₁₅ represents LYS or ASP,

X₁₆ represents SER, GLY, PRO or THR

X₁₇ represents ASP or GLU,

X₁₈ represents ALA, GLY or VAL,

X₁₉ represents ALA or VAL,

X₂₀ represents GLN or ALA,

X₂₁ represents ASP or GLU,

X₂₂ represents LEU or PRO,

X₂₃ represents ALA or VAL,

X₂₄ represents GLU or ASP,

X₂₅ represents ALA or GLY,

X₂₆ represents ASN or LYS,

X₂₇ represents VAL or SER,

X₂₈ represents GLU or GLY,

X₂₉ is non-existent or represents the sequence ASN-THR-PHE-GLY-LEU-GLN.

According to another advantageous variant of this embodiment, the said sequence comprises 343 base pairs and corresponds to the formula (II) (SEQ ID NO:2) below: ##STR2## and corresponds to a fragment of M. fortuitum, similar to the sequence of the mycobacterial gene coding for the 65-kD antigen.

The said fragment comprises, in particular, the following restriction sites:

AccII, AhaII, BanI, BanII, BbvI, Bsp1286, BstXI, CfoI, DdeI, EcoRII, EspI, Fnu4HI, HaeII, HaeIII, HapII, HgaI, HinfI, HphI, MaeIII, MboII, MnlI, NarI, NcoI, NlaIII, SacI, SacII, Sau3A, Sau96A, ScrFI, StyI, TaqI, YmaIII.

According to another advantageous variant of this embodiment, the said sequence comprises 343 base pairs and corresponds to the formula (III)(SEQ ID NO:3) below: ##STR3## and corresponds to a fragment common to the MAIP group similar to the sequence of the mycobacterial gene coding for the 65-kD antigen.

The said fragment comprises, in particular, the 5 following restriction sites:

AccII, AflI, AhaII, BanI, BbvI, BglI, Bsp1286, BstEII, BstXI, CfoI, EaeI, HaeII, HaeIII, HphI, MaeIII, MnlI, NarI, PvuI, SacII, Sau3A, Sau96A, TaqI.

According to another advantageous variant of this embodiment, the said sequence comprises 343 nucleotides and corresponds to the formula (IV) (SEQ ID NO:4) below: ##STR4## and corresponds to a fragment of the sequence of the gene coding for the. 65-kD antigen of the tuberculosis bacillus group.

The said fragment comprises, in particular, the following restriction sites:

AccII, AhaII, BanI, BbvI, BstXI, CfoI, EaeI, HaeIII, HphI, MaeIII, MnlI, NarI, NrvI, SacII, Sau3A, Sau96A, TaqI.

According to yet another advantageous variant of this embodiment, the said sequence comprises 343 nucleotides and corresponds to the formula (V) (SEQ ID NO: 5) below: ##STR5## and corresponds to a fragment of Mycobacterium kansasii similar to the sequence of the mycobacterial gene coding for the 65-kD antigen.

The said fragment comprises, in particular, the following restriction sites:

AccII, AhaII, AluI, AosI, BanI, BglI, Bsp1286, BstEII, CfoI, EaeI, HapII, HgaI, HphI, MboII, MhlI, NaeI, NlaIII, RsaI, Sau3A, Sau96A, SfaNI, StyI, TaqI, Tth111I.

According to another advantageous variant of this embodiment, the said sequence comprises 343 nucleotides and corresponds to the formula (VI) (SEQ ID NO:6) below: ##STR6## and corresponds to a fragment of Mycobacterium malmoense similar to the sequence of the mycobacterial gene coding for the 65-KD antigen.

The said fragment comprises, in particular, the following restriction sites:

AccII, AhaII, AluI, AosI, BanI, BstEII, EaeI EspI, Fnu4HI, HaeII, HinfI, HphI, MboII, MnlI, NaeI, Sau3A, StyI, TaqI,

According to yet another advantageous variant of this embodiment, the said sequence comprises 343 nucleotides and corresponds to the formula (VII) (SEQ ID NO:7) below: ##STR7## and corresponds to a fragment of Mycobacterium marinum, similar to the sequence of the mycobacterial gene coding for the 65-kD antigen.

The said fragment comprises, in particular, the following restriction sites:

AatI, AosI, AhaII, AluI, BbvI, BstEII, CfoI, EaeI, Fnu4HI, HaeII, HapII, HinfI, MboII, MnlI, NaeI, PvuI, Sau3A, StyI, TaqI, Tth111I.

According to another advantageous variant of this embodiment, the said sequence comprises 343 nucleotides and corresponds to the formula (VIII) (SEQ ID NO: 8) below: ##STR8## and corresponds to a fragment of Nocardia asteroides, similar to the sequence of the mycobacterial gene coding for the 65-kD antigen.

The said fragment comprises, in particular, the following restriction sites:

AccII, AhaII, AluI, AosI, BanI, Bsp1286, CfoI, EaeI, Fnu4HI, HaeIII, HgaI, HphI, MaeIII, MboII, MnlI, NlaIII, SacII, Sau3A, Sau96A, SfaNI, StyI, TaqI, Tth111I.

The subject of the present invention is also oligonucleotides, characterised in that they consist of a fragment of a nucleotide sequence according to the invention.

Among these fragment, special mention may be made of the following:

an oligonucleotides, characterised in that it possesses the following sequence of formula (IX) (SEQ ID NO:9):

    5'GAGATCGAGCTGGAGGATCC                                     (IX).

Such a sequence corresponds, in particular, to the base sequence 397-416 after the start codon of the "+" strand of the gene coding for the 65-kD antigen of the tuberculosis bacillus group; this sequence is hereinafter designated TB-b 1;

an oligonucleotide, characterised in that it possesses the following sequence of formula (X) (SEQ ID NO:10):

    5'AGCTGCAGCCCAAAGGTGTT                                     (X).

Such a sequence is complementary to the base sequence 535-554 after the start codon of the "+" strand of the gene coding for the 65-kD antigen of the tuberculosis bacillus group; this sequence is hereinafter designated TB-2;

an oligonucleotide, characterised in that it possesses the following sequence of formula (XI) (SEQ ID NO:11):

    5'GCGGCATCGAAAAGGCCGTG                                     (XI)

which sequence permits recognition of tuberculosis bacilli and is hereinafter designated TB-3;

an oligonucleotide, characterised in that it possesses the following sequence of formula (XII) (SEQ ID NO:12):

    5'CGAAATCGCTGCGGTGGCCG                                     (XII)

which sequence permits recognition of tuberculosis bacilli and is hereinafter designated TB-4;

an oligonucleotide, characterised in that it possesses the following sequence of formula (XIII) (SEQ ID NO:13):

    5'CTGCCACCGCGGCCATCTCC                                     (XIII)

which sequence permits recognition of MAIP group bacilli and is hereinafter designated TB-5; this oligonucleotide advantageously comprises a single BglI restriction site;

an oligonucleotide, characterised in that it possesses the following sequence of formula (XIV) (SEQ ID NO:14):

    5'CTGCCACCGCCGGTATCTCC                                     (XIV)

which sequence permits recognition of M. fortuitum and is hereinafter designated TB-6;

an oligonucleotide, characterised in that it possesses the following sequence of formula (XV) (SEQ ID NO:15):

    5'AACGTCGCGGCCGGCGCCAA 3'                                  (XV)

which sequence is hereinafter designated TB-7;

an oligonucleotide, characterised in that it possesses the following sequence of formula (XVI) (SEQ ID NO:16);

    5'GACTCCTCGACGGTGATGAC 3'                                  (XVI)

which sequence is hereinafter designated TB-8;

an oligonucleotide, characterised in that it possesses the following sequence of formula (XVII) (SEQ ID NO:17):

    5'CCTGCTCAAGGGCGCCAAG 3'                                   (XVII)

which sequence is hereinafter designated TB-9; this oligonucleotide TB-9 advantageously comprises a single BanI restriction site.

an oligonucleotide, characterised in that it possesses the following sequence of formula (XVIII) (SEQ ID NO:18):

    3'CGAAATCGCTGCGGTGGCCGCAATCTGCTC 5'                        (XVIII),

which sequence permits recognition of tuberculosis group bacilli and is hereinafter designated TB-10.

an oligonucleotide, characterised in that it possesses the following sequence of formula (XIX) (SEQ ID NO:19):

    5'GGTGCTCGCCCAGGCGTTGGTCCGC 3'                             (XIX)

which sequence permits recognition of MAIP group bacilli and is hereinafter designated TB-11.

an oligonucleotide, characterised in that it possesses the following sequence of formula (XX) (SEQ ID NO:20):

    5'TGTGCTCGCGCAGGCGCTGGTCAAA 3'                             (XX),

which sequence permits specific recognition of M. kansasii and is hereinafter designated TB-12.

According to yet another embodiment, the said oligonucleotides are obtained synthetically using, in particular, an apparatus marketed by APPLIED BIOSYSTEMS (USA).

The subject of the present invention is also pairs of primers for the synthesis of an Actinomycetales DNA or RNA, characterised in that each primer comprises a nucleotide sequence or a fragment of a nucleotide sequence as defined above.

Such primers permit the synthesis of a DNA or RNA sequence or a fragment of the latter present in a gene coding for an antigen present in all Actinomycetales, and in particular the gene coding for the 65-kD antigen.

According to an embodiment of the said pairs of primers, they advantageously consist of an oligonucleotide of formula (IX) (SEQ ID NO:9) (TB-1) paired with an oligonucleotide of formula (X) (SEQ ID NO:10) (TB-2).

According to another embodiment of the said pairs of primers, they advantageously consist of an oligonucleotide of the formula (XV) (SEQ ID NO:15) (TB-7) paired with an oligonucleotide of formula (XV) (SEQ ID NO:16) (TB-8).

The primers TB-1 (SEQ ID NO:9) and TB-2 (SEQ ID NO:10) permit the synthesis of a DNA or RNA sequence present in mycobacteria or related bacteria such as Nocardia or Rhodococcus.

The subject of the present invention is also nucleotide probes, characterised in that they comprise a nucleotide sequence or a fragment of the latter as defined above, where appropriate labelled using a label such as a radioactive isotope, a suitable enzyme, a fluorochrome, an antibody or a base analogue such as that described in French Patent No. 81/24,131.

According to an advantageous embodiment of this invention, the said probe is chosen from the group comprising the oligonucleotides of formulae XI (SEQ ID NO:11) (TB-3), XII (SEQ ID NO:12) (TB-4), XIII (SEQ ID NO:13) (TB-5), XIV (SEQ ID NO:14) (TB-6), XVII (SEQ ID NO:17) (TB-9), XVIII (SEQ ID NO:18) (TB-10), XIX (SEQ ID NO:19) (TB-11) and XX (SEQ ID NO:20) (TB-12).

The probe TB-6 (SEQ ID NO:14) enables M. fortuitum to be detected in particular; the probes TB-5 (SEQ ID NO:13) and TB-11 (SEQ ID NO:19) enable MAIP group mycobacteria to be detected; the probes TB-3 (SEQ ID NO:11), TB-4 (SEQ ID NO:12) TB-9 (SEQ ID NO:17) and TB-10 (SEQ ID NO:18) enable mycobacteria of the tuberculosis bacillus group to be detected; and the probe TB-12 enables M. kansasii to be detected.

The subject of the present invention is also the peptides or peptide fragments encoded by any one of the sequences defined above. The following may be mentioned in particular:

a peptide and/or peptide fragment, characterised in that it is encoded by the sequence of 343 nucleotides of formula (II) above and corresponds to the formula (XXI) (SEQ ID NO:21) below: ##STR9## a peptide and/or peptide fragment, characterised in that it is encoded by the sequence of 343 nucleotides of formula (III) above and corresponds to the formula (XXII) (SEQ ID NO:22) below: ##STR10## a peptide and/or peptide fragment, characterised in that it is encoded by the sequence of 343 nucleotides of formula (V) and corresponds to the formula (XXIII) (SEQ ID NO:23) below: ##STR11## a peptide and/or peptide fragment, characterised in that it is encoded by the sequence of 343 nucleotides of formula (VI) and corresponds to the formula (XXIV) (SEQ ID NO:24) below: ##STR12## a peptide and/or peptide fragment, characterised in that it is encoded by the sequence of 343 nucleotides of formula (VII) and corresponds to the formula (XXV) (SEQ ID NO:25) below: ##STR13## a peptide and/or peptide fragment, characterised in that it is encoded by the sequence of 343 nucleotides of formula (VIII) and corresponds to the formula (XXVI) (SEQ ID NO:26) below: ##STR14##

The subject of the present invention is also a composition having immunogenic capability, characterised in that it comprises at least one peptide and/or peptide fragment as defined above, optionally combined with at least one pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle.

The subject of the present invention is also polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies, characterised in that they are obtained by immunisation of a suitable animal with a peptide or peptide fragment according to the invention.

Such antibodies can, in particular, find application for demonstrating the presence of mycobacteria in a suitable sample obtained from a patient to be tested, according to a known method of the ELISA or RIA type.

The subject of the present invention is also a method for the detection and rapid identification, by amplification and hybridisation, of small amounts of Actinomycetales chosen from the group comprising mycobacteria, Nocardia and Rhodococcus, possibly present in a biological sample suitably treated to extract the DNA and/or the transcription products of the said Actinomycetales, which method is characterised in that the said sample:

(1) is brought into contact with a pair of primers according to the invention, to amplify at least one fragment of the said DNA or RNA,

(2) after which the amplified DNA or RNA sequence is detected by at least one nucleotide probe according to the invention.

The method carried out in (1) is, in particular, one of the techniques of genetic amplification such as the so-called Q β replicase method (LIZARDI P. M. et al., Biotechnol., 1988, 6) or the so-called PCR (polymerase chain reaction) method described in European Patent Applications No. 200,363, No. 201,184 and No. 229,701 filed by CETUS CO.

Such a method has the advantage of enabling a specific, direct and rapid test distinguishing the different groups of Actinomycetales, and in particular of mycobacteria, to be carried out, on the one hand using non-specific primers which amplify a DNA or RNA fragment, and on the other hand using group- or genus-specific probes.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the said method, it comprises in addition:

(3) cleavage of any probe which has hybridised during the above step (2), using a suitable restriction enzyme;

(4) detection of any probe fragment obtained.

According to a variant of this embodiment, the restriction enzyme is advantageously chosen from the group comprising BanI and BglI.

Such an embodiment has the advantage of enabling a genus or a group of Actinomycetales to be detected.

According to another advantageous embodiment of the said method, the detection of the amplified DNA or RNA sequence is carried out using two suitable nucleotide probes, the said method comprising in addition:

(3) enzymatic coupling of the two hybridised probes;

(4) detection of any fragment obtained containing the two combined probes.

According to another advantageous embodiment of the said method, the DNA is isolated from the biological sample during a step prior to the detection and identification steps, by suspending the centrifugation pellet from the said biological sample in a suitable lysis solution, followed by an incubation at approximately 95° C. for a suitable time, the incubation itself being followed by the addition of a buffer solution to the medium, after which the DNA is extracted by suitable means of extraction.

According to an advantageous variant of this embodiment, the lysis solution employed is a solution comprising 0.1N NaOH, 2M NaCl and 0.5% SDS.

According to another advantageous variant of this embodiment, the incubation is carried out at a temperature of approximately 95° C. for approximately 15 minutes.

The subject of the present invention is, in addition, a ready-to-use kit, outfit or coordinated set for carrying put the method for detecting at least one Actinomycetales bacterium, in particular at least one mycobacterium, characterised in that it comprises, apart from the appropriate amounts of suitable buffers and reagents for carrying out the said detection:

suitable doses of a pair of primers according to the invention;

suitable doses of at least one nucleotide probe or probe fragment according to the invention.

Apart from the foregoing variants, the invention comprises yet other variants which will become apparent from the description which follows, which relates to examples of implementation of the method which is the subject of the present invention.

It should, however, be clearly understood that these examples are given only by way of illustration of the subject of the invention and in no way constitute a limitation of the latter.

Example 1

Detection and comparative identification of M. tuberculosis, M. bovis, M. avium and M. fortuitum.

a) Isolation of mycobacterial DNA.

The biological extracts are treated in a suitable manner and then centrifuged. To extract the DNA, the centrifugation pellet is resuspended in 50 μl of 0.1N NaOH containing 2M NaCl and 0.5% SDS and incubated at 95° C. for 15 min (occasional gentle shaking), and then, after the addition of 0.4 ml of 0.1M Tris-HCl, pH 7, the DNA is extracted by three treatments with a phenol/chloroform mixture, precipitated with ethanol and dissolved in 50 μl of 10 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8, containing 0.1 mM EDTA.

b) DNA amplification.

Amplification is carried out as described in SAIKI et al. (Science, 1988, vol. 239, 487-491) and also in European Patent Application No. 200,362: 0.1 ml of a reaction mixture containing 50 mM KCl, 10 mM Tris-HCl (pH 8.3), 1.5-2.4 mM MgCl₂, 100 μg/ml of gelatin, 300 μM deoxyribonucleotides (mixture of the 4 deoxyribonucleotides dA, dG, dC and dI), 50 pM of the primers according to the invention designated TB-1 and TB-2, two units of Taq polymerase and 10-50 μl of an extract of a mixture of human cells and mycobacteria or 50 ng of DNA extracted from mycobacteria is maintained at 94° C. (1.5 min), 50° C. (2 min) and 72° C. (2 min) for approximately 40 cycles. After the last cycle, the samples are maintained at 37° C. for 10 min and then stored at 4° C.

c. Analysis of the amplified samples by Southern blot analysis.

10 μl aliquots are removed from the amplified samples and subjected to electrophoresis on 2% agarose gel. The DNA is then transferred onto nylon filters (standard technique: REED K. L. et al., Nucleic Acid Research, 1985, 13, 7207). The filters with DNA are then washed in 2×SSPE solution (20×SSPE solution corresponds to 3.0M NaCl, 200 mM NaH₂ PO₄ and 20 mM EDTA), then treated with a prehybridisation mixture at 63° C. in a solution comprising 5×SSPE and 5×Denhardt (1×Denhardt solution corresponds to 0.02% of Ficoll, 0.02% of polyvinylpyrrolidone and 0.02% of bovine serum albumin) for 2 hours and then hybridised in the same solution containing three probes according to the invention, TB-4, TB-5 and TB-6, labelled at their 5' end with ³² P (2×10⁵ cpm/ml, specific activity 1-3 μCi/pmol) overnight at 63° C. The blots or deposits obtained are washed for 2 hours at room temperature in 0.1×SSC solution (1×SSC corresponds to 0.15M NaCl and 0.015M Na citrate) containing 0.5% SDS for 2 to 4 minutes at 67°-72° C. in 5×SSPE solution containing 0.5% SDS and 2 hours at room temperature in 0.1×SSC containing 0.5% SDS. The deposits obtained are dried and any hybrids present are visualised by exposure to an XAR-5 film.

In dot-blot analysis, 10 μl of aliquots of amplified samples are denatured by heating to 95° C. for 2 min in 0.2 ml of 0.4M NaOH containing 25 mM EDTA. The samples are cooled rapidly and loaded into the wells of a manifold (BIORAD, (USA)) or minifold (CERA LABO (France)) fitted with a nylon membrane. Each well is washed twice with 0.4 ml of 20×SSPE, the membrane is heated to 80° C. for one hour and hybridisation is carried out as described above. The results as seen in FIG. 1 are obtained.

FIG. 1 shows the hybridisation of amplified DNA of M. bovis (B), M. avium (A) and M. fortuitum (F) with the specific probes TB-4 (SEQ ID NO:12), TB-5 (SEQ ID NO:13) and TB-6 (SEQ ID NO:14), respectively.

Example 2

Comparison of sequences obtained in Example 1 with the DNA sequences as described in the literature.

a) Sequencing of the amplified mycobacterial sequences obtained.

The DNA is extracted with phenol, precipitated with ethanol and redissolved in 10 mM Tris-HCl (pH 8) containing 1 mM EDTA.

The DNA is then digested with the restriction endonucleases PstI and BamHI, cloned into the phages M13mp18 and M13mp19 and sequenced according to SANGER's method using T7 polymerase or Taq polymerase in the presence of d-azaGTP in place of dGTP.

The amplified DNA corresponds to the expected region of the gene coding for the 65-kD mycobacterial antigen, as shown in FIG. 2 (SEQ ID NO:27), in which the DNA sequences of the amplified fragments obtained from the gene coding for the 65-kD antigen of M. bovis, M. avium, M. paratuberculosis and M. fortuitum are specified.

The sequence of the amplified DNA of M. bovis is identical to the corresponding region of the sequence coding for the 65-kD antigen of M. bovis (THOLE et al. 1987) and M. tuberculosis (SHINNICK et al. 1987).

The sequences of the amplified DNA from M. avium, M. paratuberculosis and M. fortuitum are very similar to those of M. bovis and M. tuberculosis, and the deduced translation products corresponding to these sequences are also very similar to the 65-kD antigen of M. bovis/M. tuberculosis as shown in FIG. 2 (SEQ ID NO:27).

FIG. 3 shows a number of restriction sites of the fragments of 343 nucleotides contained within the gene coding for the 65-kD antigen of M. avium (FIG. 3a) (SEQ ID NO:28), M. fortuitum (FIG. 3b) (SEQ ID NO:29), M. paratuberculosis (FIG. 3c) (SEQ ID NO:30) and M. bovis BCG (FIG. 3d) (SEQ ID NO:31).

Example 3

Development of the sensitivity of the method.

The sensitivity of the method was tested using BCG diluted in a biological medium, pleural fluid. It was possible to detect approximately 10 bacilli per ml of fluid; this represents a considerable improvement on the direct examination tests, which require 10³ to 10⁴ bacilli/ml for the detection of mycobacteria, and without identification.

Furthermore, this test may be accomplished much more rapidly than the detection and identification of mycobacteria after enrichment and culturing.

FIG. 4 shows the results obtained for the DNA extracted from samples containing 10⁶ human mononuclear blood cells and 6×10⁵ (column 1), 6×10⁴ (column 2), 6×10³ (column 3), 600 (column 4), 60 (column 5) and 6 (column 6) M. bovis bacilli, and amplified using Taq polymerase and the oligonucleotide primers TB-1 (SEQ ID NO:9) and TB-2 (SEQ ID NO:10) (FIG. 4a: gel; FIG. 4b: dot blot).

Example 4

Detection of amplified sequences of the tuberculosis bacillus group by the oligonucleotide restriction test.

To detect the presence of amplified sequences of mycobacteria belonging to the tuberculosis bacillus group by the restriction test, 4×10⁴ cpm of oligonucleotide TB-9 (SEQ ID NO:17) labelled with ³² P at its 5' end is mixed with 2 μl of a 10×buffer (40 mM Tris-HCl pH 7.0, 60 mM MgCl₂ and 60 mM 2-mercaptoethanol) in a final volume of 15 μl. 4 μl of amplified product are added and the tube is incubated at 95° C. for 5 minutes, transferred to ice and then incubated at 52° C. for 2 hours. 1 μl of BanI (25 units) is added and the tubes are incubated at 37° C. for 1-2 hours. 4 μl of 95% formamide containing 20% of Ficoll, 25 mM EDTA, 25 μg/ml of bromophenol blue and 25 μg/ml of xylene cyanol are added, the tubes are heated to 65° C. for 10 minutes and 12 μl are subjected to electrophoresis on a 30% polyacrylamide gel (340 V for 1-2 hours). The gel is then exposed to an X-ray film for 3-18 hours and the positive samples are identified by the presence of a band corresponding to the fragment of 11 nucleotides at the 5' end of the oligonucleotide TB-9, produced by the cleavage of TB-9 by the restriction enzyme.

Example 5

Synthesis of the oligonucleotides according to the invention.

The oligonucleotides are synthesised using the phosphoramidite method (BEAUCAGE, 1985, loc.cit.) with a 380 D DNA synthesiser (APPLIED BIOSYSTEMS, CA). TB-1 (SEQ ID NO:9), TB-2 (SEQ ID NO:10), TB-3 (SEQ ID NO:11), TB-4 (SEQ ID NO:12), TB-5 (SEQ ID NO:13 ), TB-6 (SEQ ID NO:14 ), TB-7 (SEQ ID NO:15), TB-8 (SEQ ID NO:16 ), and TB-9 (SEQ ID NO:17) are thereby obtained.

Example 6

Detection of amplified sequences of MAIP group by the oligonucleotide restriction test.

The protocol is identical to that of Example 4; however, a number of reagents are different:

the oligonucleotide TB-5 (SEQ ID NO:13), is used;

the 1× buffer contains 500 mM Tris-HCl pH 8.0, 100 mM MgCl₂ and 400 mM NaCl;

the restriction enzyme used is BglI (10 units).

As in Example 4, the positive samples are identified by the presence of a band corresponding to a fragment of 9 nucleotides resulting from cleavage of the oligonucleotide TB-5 by the restriction enzyme BglI.

FIG. 5 shows the detection of amplified mycobacterial DNA sequences by the oligonucleotide restriction test.

The purified mycobacterial DNA is amplified, and equivalent amounts of the amplified product from M. avium (column 1-5), M. bovis BCG (column 6) and M. fortuitum (column 7) are evaluated as described above, using the oligonucleotide TB-5 labelled with ³² P and the restriction enzyme BglI. An amount of enzyme corresponding to the following enzymatic activities is added: 1 unit (samples 1, 6 and 7); 5 units (sample 2); 10 units (sample 3); 20 units (sample 4); and 50 units (sample 5).

The autoradiogram is exposed for 3 hours with a single intensification screen. FIG. 5 shows clearly that only columns 1-5 enable the cleaved oligomer to be demonstrated, hence permitting identification of M. avium.

Example 7

Detection of mycobacterial DNA in a sputum specimen.

DNA purified from M. tuberculosis (FIG. 6, T), from M. avium (FIG. 6, A) and from M. fortuitum (FIG. 6, F) and DNA extracted from sputum samples which yielded a negative culture (FIG. 6, columns 1-6) or from sputum samples which yielded a positive culture for M. tuberculosis (FIG. 6, columns 7 and 8) was amplified using Taq polymerase in the case of the PCR or using another polymerase and the oligonucleotides TB-1 (SEQ ID NO:9) and TB-2 (SEQ ID NO:10). Samples of the amplified sequences are bound to filters (dot blots) and hybridised with the oligonucleotides TB-4 (SEQ ID NO:12), TB-5 (SEQ ID NO:13) and TB-6 (SEQ ID NO:14) labelled at their 5' end with ³² P.

It is seen that the DNA of M. tuberculosis hybridises with TB-4 (SEQ ID NO:12).

As is apparent from the foregoing, the invention is in no way limited to those of its methods of implementation, embodiments and methods of use which have just been described more explicitly; on the contrary, it encompasses all variants which may occur to the specialist in the field without departing from the scope or range of the present invention.

    __________________________________________________________________________     SEQUENCE LISTING                                                               (1) GENERAL INFORMATION:                                                       (iii) NUMBER OF SEQUENCES: 31                                                  (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:1:                                               (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 116 amino acids                                                    (B) TYPE: amino acid                                                           (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: peptide                                                    (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:1:                                        XaaTyrGluLysIleGlyAlaGluLeuValXaaGluValAlaLysLys                               151015                                                                         ThrAspAspValAlaXaaAspXaaThrThrThrAlaThrValLeuXaa                               202530                                                                         GlnXaaLeuValXaaGluGlyLeuArgAsnValAlaAlaGlyAlaAsn                               354045                                                                         XaaLeuXaaXaaLysXaaGlyIleGluLysAlaValGluXaaValThr                               505560                                                                         XaaXaaLeuLeuXaaXaaAlaLysGluValGluThrLysXaaGlnIle                               65707580                                                                       AlaAlaThrAlaXaaIleSerXaaGlyAspXaaSerIleGlyXaaXaa                               859095                                                                         IleXaaXaaXaaMetAspLysValGlyXaaGluGlyValIleThrXaa                               100105110                                                                      XaaGluSerXaa                                                                   115                                                                            (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:2:                                               (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 342 base pairs                                                     (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: both                                                         (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                       (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:2:                                        TACGAGAAGATCGGCGCTGAGCTCGTCAAGGAAGTCGCCAAGAAGACCGACGACGTCGCG60                 GGCGACGGCACCACCACCGCCACCGTTCTGGCACAGGCCCTGGTTCGTGAAGGTCTGCGC120                AACGTCGCTGCCGGCGCCAACCCGCTCGGCCTGAAGCGCGGCATCGAGAAGGCCGTCGAG180                AAGGTCACCGAGACGCTGCTGAAGAGCGCCAAGGAGGTGGAGACCAAGGAGCAGATCGCT240                GCCACCGCCGGTATCTCCGCCGGTGACCAGTCCATCGGTGACCTGATCGCCGAGGCCATG300                GACAAGGTCGGCAACGAGGGTGTCATCACCGTCGAGGAGAGC342                                  (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:3:                                               (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 342 base pairs                                                     (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: both                                                         (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                       (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:3:                                        TACGAGAAGATCGGCGCCGAGCTGGTCAAGGAAGTCGCCAAGAAGACCGACGACGTCGCC60                 GGTGACGGCACGACGACGGCCACGGTGCTCGCCCAGGCGTTGGTCCGCGAGGGCCTGCGC120                AACGTCGCGGCCGGCGCCAACCCGCTGGGTCTCAAGCGCGGCATCGAGAAGGCCGTCGAG180                AAGGTCACCGAGACCCTGCTCAAGTCGGCCAAGGAGGTCGAGACCAAGGACCAGATCGCT240                GCCACCGCGGCCATCTCCGCGGGCGACCAGTCGATCGGCGACCTGATCGCCGAGGCGATG300                GACAAGGTCGGCAACGAGGGCGTCATCACCGTCGAGGAGTCC342                                  (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:4:                                               (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 342 base pairs                                                     (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: both                                                         (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                       (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:4:                                        TACGAGAAGATCGGCGCCGAGCTGGTCAAAGAGGTAGCCAAGAAGACCGATGACGTCGCC60                 GGTGACGGCACCACGACGGCCACCGTGCTGGCCCAGGCGTTGGTTCGCGAGGGCCTGCGC120                AACGTCGCGGCCGGCGCCAACCCGCTCGGTCTCAAACGCGGCATCGAAAAGGCCGTGGAG180                AAGGTCACCGAGACCCTGCTCAAGGGCGCCAAGGAGGTCGAGACCAAGGAGCAGATTGCG240                GCCACCGCAGCGATTTCGGCGGGTGACCAGTCCATCGGTGACCTGATCGCCGAGGCGATG300                GACAAGGTGGGCAACGAGGGCGTCATCACCGTCGAGGAGTCC342                                  (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:5:                                               (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 343 base pairs                                                     (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: both                                                         (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                       (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:5:                                        GTACGAGAAGATCGGCGCCGAGCTGGTCGAGGAAGTCGCCAAGAAGACCGACGACGTCGC60                 CGGCGACGGCACCACCACGGCCACTGTGCTCGCGCAGGCGTTGGTCAAAGAGGGCCTGCG120                CAACGTCGCGGCCGGCGCCAACCCACTGGGCCTGAAGCGCGGCATCGAGAAGGCAGTCGA180                GAAGGTCACCGAGACGCTGCTCAAGGGCGCCAAGGAGGTCGAGACCAAGGAGCAGATCGC240                TGCCACCGCGGCCATCTCCGCCGGTGACCAGTCGATCGGCGACCTGATCGCCGATGGCAT300                GGACAAGGTCGGCAACGAGGGTGTCATCACCGTTGAGGAGTCC343                                 (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:6:                                               (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 343 base pairs                                                     (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: both                                                         (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                       (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:6:                                        CTACGAGAAGATCGGCGCCGAGCTGGTCAAGGAAGTCGCCAAGAAGACCGACGACGTGGC60                 CGGTGACCGGACGACGACGGCCACCGTGCTGGTGCAGGCGCTGGTCAAAGAGGGCCTGCG120                CAACGTCGCGGCCGGTGCCAACCTGCTCAGCTTCAAGTGCGGCATCGAGAAGGCGGTCGA180                GAAGGTCACCGAGACCCTGCTCAAGCCGGCCAAGGAGGTCGAGACCAAGGAGCAGATCGC240                CGCGACCGCCGTGATCTCGGTGGGCGACCAGTCGATCGGTGACCTGATCGCCGAGGCGAT300                GGACAAGGTTGGCAACGAGGGCGTCATCACCGTCGAGGAGTCC343                                 (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:7:                                               (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 343 base pairs                                                     (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: both                                                         (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                       (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:7:                                        CTACGAGAAGATCGGCGCCGAGCTGGTCAAAGAGGTCGCCAAGAAGACCGACGATGTCGC60                 CGGTGACCGGACCACCACGGCCACCGTGCTGGCACAGGCGCTGGTCAAGGAAGGCCTGCG120                CAACGTTGCGGCCGGTGCCAACCCGCTCGGTCTGAAGCGCGGCATTGAGAAGGCAGTCGA180                GAAGGTCACCGAGACCTTGCTCAAGTCGGCCAAAGAGGTCGAGACCAAGGAGCAGATCGC240                GGCGACCGCAGCCATCTCCGCCGGCGACCAGTCGATCGGCGACCCGATCGTCGAGGCGAT300                GGACAAGGTCGGCAACGAGGGCGTCATTACCGTCGAGGAGTCC343                                 (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:8:                                               (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 343 base pairs                                                     (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: both                                                         (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                       (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:8:                                        CTACGAGAAGATCGGCGCCGAGCTGGTCAAGGAAGTCGCCAAGAAGACCGACGACGTCGC60                 GGCTGACGGCACCACCACCGCCACCGTGCTCGCCCAGCGGCTGGTGCGCGAGGGTCTGCG120                CAACGTGGCCGCGGGCGCGAACCCGCTGGGCCTCAAGCGCGGCATCGAGAAGGCCGTCGA180                GGCCGTGACCGCCAAGCTGCTCGACACCGCCAAGGAGGTCGAGACCAAGGAGCAGATCGC240                CGCCACCGCGGGCATCTCCGCGGGCGACGCGTCCATCGGTGAGCTGATCGCCGAGGCCAT300                GGACAAGGTCGGCAAGGAAGGCGTCATCACCGTCGAGGAGAGC343                                 (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:9:                                               (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 20 base pairs                                                      (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                       (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:9:                                        GAGATCGAGCTGGAGGATCC20                                                         (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:10:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 20 base pairs                                                      (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                       (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:10:                                       AGCTGCAGCCCAAAGGTGTT20                                                         (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:11:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 20 base pairs                                                      (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                       (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:11:                                       GCGGCATCGAAAAGGCCGTG20                                                         (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:12:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 20 base pairs                                                      (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                       (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:12:                                       CGAAATCGCTGCGGTGGCCG20                                                         (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:13:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 20 base pairs                                                      (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                       (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:13:                                       CTGCCACCGCGGCCATCTCC20                                                         (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:14:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 20 base pairs                                                      (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                       (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:14:                                       CTGCCACCGCCGGTATCTCC20                                                         (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:15:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 20 base pairs                                                      (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                       (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:15:                                       AACGTCGCGGCCGGCGCCAA20                                                         (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:16:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 20 base pairs                                                      (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                       (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:16:                                       GACTCCTCGACGGTGATGAC20                                                         (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:17:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 19 base pairs                                                      (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                       (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:17:                                       CCTGCTCAAGGGCGCCAAG19                                                          (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:18:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 30 base pairs                                                      (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                       (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:18:                                       CGAAATCGCTGCGGTGGCCGCAATCTGCTC30                                               (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:19:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 25 base pairs                                                      (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                       (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:19:                                       GGTGCTCGCCCAGGCGTTGGTCCGC25                                                    (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:20:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 25 base pairs                                                      (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                       (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:20:                                       TGTGCTCGCGCAGGCGCTGGTCAAA25                                                    (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:21:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 114 amino acids                                                    (B) TYPE: amino acid                                                           (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: peptide                                                    (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:21:                                       TyrGluLysIleGlyAlaGluLeuValLysGluValAlaLysLysThr                               151015                                                                         AspAspValAlaGlyAspGlyThrThrThrAlaThrValLeuAlaGln                               202530                                                                         AlaLeuValArgGluGlyLeuArgAsnValAlaAlaGlyAlaAsnPro                               354045                                                                         LeuGlyLeuLysArgGlyIleGluLysAlaValGluLysValThrGlu                               505560                                                                         ThrLeuLeuLysSerAlaLysGluValGluThrLysGluGlnIleAla                               65707580                                                                       AlaThrAlaGlyIleSerAlaGlyAspGlnSerIleGlyAspLeuIle                               859095                                                                         AlaGluAlaMetAspLysValGlyAsnGluGlyValIleThrValGlu                               100105110                                                                      GluSer                                                                         (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:22:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 114 amino acids                                                    (B) TYPE: amino acid                                                           (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: peptide                                                    (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:22:                                       TyrGluLysIleGlyAlaGluLeuValLysGluValAlaLysLysThr                               151015                                                                         AspAspValAlaGlyAspGlyThrThrThrAlaThrValLeuAlaGln                               202530                                                                         AlaLeuValArgGluGlyLeuArgAsnValAlaAlaGlyAlaAsnPro                               354045                                                                         LeuGlyLeuLysArgGlyIleGluLysAlaValGluLysValThrGlu                               505560                                                                         ThrLeuLeuLysSerAlaLysGluValGluThrLysAspGlnIleAla                               65707580                                                                       AlaThrAlaAlaIleSerAlaGlyAspGlnSerIleGlyAspLeuIle                               859095                                                                         AlaGluAlaMetAspLysValGlyAsnGluGlyValIleThrValGlu                               100105110                                                                      GluSer                                                                         (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:23:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 114 amino acids                                                    (B) TYPE: amino acid                                                           (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: peptide                                                    (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:23:                                       TyrGluLysIleGlyAlaGluLeuValGluGluValAlaLysLysThr                               151015                                                                         AspAspValAlaGlyAspGlyThrThrThrAlaThrValLeuAlaGln                               202530                                                                         AlaLeuValLysGluGlyLeuArgAsnValAlaAlaGlyAlaAsnPro                               354045                                                                         LeuGlyLeuLysArgGlyIleGluLysAlaValGluLysValThrGlu                               505560                                                                         ThrLeuLeuLysGlyAlaLysGluValGluThrLysGluGlnIleAla                               65707580                                                                       AlaThrAlaAlaIleSerAlaGlyAspGlnSerIleGlyAspLeuIle                               859095                                                                         AlaAspGlyMetAspLysValGlyAsnGluGlyValIleThrSerGly                               100105110                                                                      GluSer                                                                         (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:24:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 114 amino acids                                                    (B) TYPE: amino acid                                                           (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: peptide                                                    (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:24:                                       TyrGluLysIleGlyAlaGluLeuValLysGluValAlaLysLysThr                               151015                                                                         AspAspValAlaGlyAspArgThrThrThrAlaThrValLeuValGln                               202530                                                                         AlaLeuValLysGluGlyLeuArgAsnValAlaAlaGlyAlaAsnLeu                               354045                                                                         LeuSerPheLysCysGlyIleGluLysAlaValGluLysValThrGlu                               505560                                                                         ThrLeuLeuLysProAlaLysGluValGluThrLysGluGlnIleAla                               65707580                                                                       AlaThrAlaValIleSerValGlyAspGlnSerIleGlyAspLeuIle                               859095                                                                         AlaGluAlaMetAspLysValGlyAsnGluGlyValIleThrValGlu                               100105110                                                                      GluSer                                                                         (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:25:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 122 amino acids                                                    (B) TYPE: amino acid                                                           (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: peptide                                                    (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:25:                                       AspProTyrGluLysIleGlyAlaGluLeuValLysGluValAlaLys                               151015                                                                         LysThrAspAspValAlaGlyAspArgThrThrThrAlaThrValLeu                               202530                                                                         AlaGlnAlaLeuValLysGluGlyLeuArgAsnValAlaAlaGlyAla                               354045                                                                         AsnProLeuGlyLeuLysArgGlyIleGluLysAlaValGluLysVal                               505560                                                                         ThrGluThrLeuLeuLysSerAlaLysGluValGluThrLysGluGln                               65707580                                                                       IleAlaAlaThrAlaAlaIleSerAlaGlyAspGlnSerIleGlyAsp                               859095                                                                         ProIleValGluAlaMetAspLysValGlyAsnGluGlyValIleThr                               100105110                                                                      ValGluGluSerAsnThrPheGlyLeuGln                                                 115120                                                                         (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:26:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 114 amino acids                                                    (B) TYPE: amino acid                                                           (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: peptide                                                    (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:26:                                       TyrGluLysIleGlyAlaGluLeuValLysGluValAlaLysLysThr                               151015                                                                         AspAspValAlaAlaAspGlyThrThrThrAlaThrValLeuAlaGln                               202530                                                                         ArgLeuValArgGluGlyLeuArgAsnValAlaAlaGlyAlaAsnPro                               354045                                                                         LeuGlyLeuLysArgGlyIleGluLysAlaValGluAlaValThrAla                               505560                                                                         LysLeuLeuAspThrAlaLysGluValGluThrLysGluGlnIleAla                               65707580                                                                       AlaThrAlaGlyIleSerAlaGlyAspAlaSerIleGlyGluLeuIle                               859095                                                                         AlaGluAlaMetAspLysValGlyLysGluGlyValIleThrValGlu                               100105110                                                                      GluSer                                                                         (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:27:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 114 amino acids                                                    (B) TYPE: amino acid                                                           (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: peptide                                                    (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:27:                                       TyrGluLysIleGlyAlaGluLeuValLysGluValAlaLysLysThr                               151015                                                                         AspAspValAlaGlyAspGlyThrThrThrAlaThrValLeuAlaGln                               202530                                                                         AlaLeuValArgGluGlyLeuArgAsnValAlaAlaGlyAlaAsnPro                               354045                                                                         LeuGlyLeuLysArgGlyIleGluLysAlaValGluLysValThrGlu                               505560                                                                         ThrLeuLeuLysGlyAlaLysGluValGluThrLysGluGlnIleAla                               65707580                                                                       AlaThrAlaAlaIleSerAlaGlyAspGlnSerIleGlyAspLeuIle                               859095                                                                         AlaGluAlaMetAspLysValGlyAsnGluGlyValIleThrValGlu                               100105110                                                                      GluSer                                                                         (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:28:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 342 base pairs                                                     (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                       (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:28:                                       TACGAGAAGATCGGCGCCGAGCTGGTCAAGGAAGTCGCCAAGAAGACCGACGACGTCGCC60                 GGTGACGGCACGACGACGGCCACGGTGCTCCCCCAGGCGTTGGTCCGCGAGGGCCTGCGC120                AACGTCGCGGCCGGCGCCAACCCGCTGGGTCTCAAGCGCGGCATCGAGAAGGCCGTCGAG180                AAGGTCACCGACACCCTGCTCAAGTCGGCCAAGGAGGTCGAGACCAAGGACCAGATCGCT240                GCCACCGCGGCCATCTCCGCGGGCGACCAGTCGATCGGCGACCTGATCGCCGAGGCGATG300                GACAAGGTCGGCAACGAGGGCGTCATCACCGTCGAGGAGTCC342                                  (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:29:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 342 base pairs                                                     (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                       (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:29:                                       TACGAGAAGATCGGCGCTGAGCTCGTCAAGGAAGTCGCCAAGAAGACCGACGACGTCGCG60                 GGCGACGGCACCACCACCGCCACCGTTCTGGCACAGGCCCTGGTTCGTGAAGGTCTGCGC120                AACGTCGCTGCCGGCGCCAACCCGCTCGGCCTGAAGCGCGGCATCGAGAAGCCCGTCGAG180                AAGGTCACCGAGACGCTGCTGAAGAGCGCCAAGGAGGTGGAGACCAAGGAGCAGATCGCT240                GCCACCGCCGGTATCTCCGCCGGTGACCAGTCCATCGGTGACCTGATCCCCGAGGCCATG300                GACAAGGTCGGCAACGAGGGTGTCATCACCGTCGAGGAGAGC342                                  (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:30:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 342 base pairs                                                     (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                       (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:30:                                       TACGAGAAGATCGGCGCCGAGCTGGTCAAGGAAGTCGCCAAGAAGACCGACGACGTCGCC60                 GGTGACGGCACGACGACGGCCACGGTCCTCGCCCAGGCGTTGGTCCGCGAGGGCCTGCGC120                AACGTCGCGGCCGGCGCCAACCCGCTGGGTCTCAAGCGCGGCATCGAGAAGGCCGTCGAG180                AAGGTCACCGAGACCCTGCTCAAGTCGGCCAAGGAGGTCGAGACCAAGGACCAGATCGCT240                GCCACCGCGGCCATCTCCGCGGGCGACCAGTCGATCGGCGACCTGATCGCCGAGGCGATG300                GACAAGGTCGGCAACGAGGGCGTCATCACCGTCGAGGAGTCC342                                  (2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO:31:                                              (i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:                                                  (A) LENGTH: 342 base pairs                                                     (B) TYPE: nucleic acid                                                         (C) STRANDEDNESS: single                                                       (D) TOPOLOGY: linear                                                           (ii) MOLECULE TYPE: cDNA                                                       (xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO:31:                                       TACGAGAAGATCGGCGCCGAGCTGGTCAAAGAGGTAGCCAAGAAGACCGATGACGTCGCC60                 GGTGACGGCACCACGACGGCCACCGTGCTGGCCCAGGCGTTGGTTCGCGAGGGCCTGCGC120                AACGTCGCGGCCGGCGCCAACCCGCTCGGTCTCAAACGCGGCATCGAAAAGGCCGTGGAG180                AAGGTCACCGAGACCCTGCTCAAGGGCGCCAAGGAGGTCGAGACCAAGGAGCAGATTGCG240                GCCACCGCAGCGATTTCGGCGGGTGACCAGTCCATCGGTGACCTGATCGCCGAGGCGATG300                GACAAGGTGGGCAACGAGGGCGTCATCACCGTCGAGGAGTCC342                                  __________________________________________________________________________ 

We claim:
 1. Nucleotide sequence derived from Actinomycetales, having respectively at its 5' and 3' ends, a sequence of formula (IX) (SEQ ID No:9):5'GAGATCGAGCTGGAGGATCC (TB-1) and a sequence complementary to formula (X) (SEQ ID NO:10): 5'AGCTGCAGCCCAAAGGTGTT (TB-2) and in between a nucleotide fragment of 343 nucleotides of the gene that encodes a 65-kD mycobacterial antigen of Actinomycetales selected from the group consisting of mycobacteria, Nocardia and Rhodococcus.
 2. An oligonucleotide having the sequence of formula (IX) (SEQ ID NO:9):

    5'GAGATCGAGCTGGAGGATCC                                     (IX)

or exact complement thereof.
 3. An oligonucleotide having the sequence of formula (IX) (SEQ ID NO:9):

    5'AGCTGCAGCCCAAAGGTGTT                                     (IX)

or exact complement thereof.
 4. An oligonucleotide having the sequence of formula (XI) (SEQ ID NO:11):

    5'GCGGCATCGAAAAGGCCGTG                                     (XI)

or exact complement thereof.
 5. An oligonucleotide having the sequence of formula (XII) (SEQ ID NO:12):

    5'CGAAATCGCTGCGGTGGCCG                                     (XII)

or exact complement thereof.
 6. An oligonucleotide having the sequence of formula (XIII) (SEQ ID NO:13):

    5'CTGCCACCGCGGCCATCTCC                                     (XIII)

or exact complement thereof.
 7. Oligonucleotide according to claim 6, wherein it comprises a single BglI restriction site.
 8. An oligonucleotide having the sequence of formula (XIV) (SEQ ID NO:14):

    5'CTGCCACCGCCGGTATCTCC                                     (XIV)

or exact complement thereof.
 9. An oligonucleotide having the sequence of formula (XV) (SEQ ID NO:15):

    5'AACGTCGCGGCCGGCGCCAA 3'                                  (XV)

or exact complement thereof.
 10. An oligonucleotide having the sequence of formula (XVI) (SEQ ID NO:16):

    5'GACTCCTCGACGGTGATGAC 3'                                  (XVI)

or exact complement thereof.
 11. An oligonucleotide having the sequence of formula (XVII) (SEQ ID NO:17):

    5'CCTGCTCAAGGGCGCCAAG 3'                                   (XVII)

or exact complement thereof.
 12. Oligonucleotide according to claim 11, wherein it comprises a single BanI restriction site.
 13. An oligonucleotide having the sequence of formula (XVIII) (SEQ ID NO:18):

    5'CGAAATCGCTGCGGTGGCCGCAATCTGCTC 3'                        (XVIII)

or exact complement thereof.
 14. An oligonucleotide having the sequence of formula (XIX) (SEQ ID NO:19):

    5'GGTGCTCGCCCAGGCGTTGGTCCGC 3'                             (XIX)

or exact complement thereof.
 15. An oligonucleotide having the sequence of formula (XX) (SEQ ID NO:20):

    5'TGTGCTCGCCGCAGGCGCTGGTCAAA 3'                            (XIX)

or exact complement thereof.
 16. Pairs of primers for the synthesis of an Actinomycetales DNA or RNA of 343 bp, wherein they are selected from the group consisting of:an oligonucleotide of formula (IX) (SEQ ID NO:9) (TB-1) paired with an oligonucleotide of formula (X) (SEQ ID NO:10) (TB-2); an oligonucleotide of formula (XV) (SEQ ID NO:15) (TB-7) paired with an oligonucleotide of formula (XVI) (SEQ ID NO:16) (TB-8).
 17. A labeled nucleotide probe wherein it is chosen from the group consisting of the oligonucleotides of formulae XI (SEQ ID NO:11) TB-3), XII (SEQ ID NO:12) (TB-4), XIII (SEQ ID NO:13) (TB-5), XIV (SEQ ID NO:14) (TB-6), XVII (SEQ ID NO:17) (TB-9), XVIII (SEQ ID NO:18) (TB-10), XIX (SEQ ID NO:19) (TB-1 1) and XX (SEQ ID NO:20) (TB-12).
 18. A method for the detection and rapid identification, by amplification and hybridization, of small amounts of Actinomycetales selected from the group consisting of mycobacteria, Nocardia and Rhodococcus, possibly present in a biological sample suitably treated to extract the DNA and/or the transcription products of the said Actinomycetales, which method is characterized in that the said sample:(1) is brought into contact with a pair of primers selected from the group consisting of an oligonucleotide of formula (IX) (SEQ ID NO:9) (TB-1) paired with an oligonucleotide of formula (X) (SEQ ID NO:10) (TB-2) and an oligonucleotide of formula (XV) (SEQ ID NO:15) (TB-7) paired with an oligonucleotide of formula (XVI) (SEQ ID NO:16) (TB-8),to amplify at least one fragment of the said DNA or RNA, and (2) detecting said at least one fragment with at least one labeled nucleotide probe comprising an oligonucleotide selected from the group consisting of formula II (SEQ ID NO:2), formula III (SEQ ID NO:3), formula IV (SEQ ID NO:4), formula V (SEQ ID NO:5), formula VI (SEQ ID NO:6), formula VII (SEQ ID NO:7), formula VIII (SEQ ID NO:8), formula IX (SEQ ID NO:9), formula X (SEQ ID NO:10), formula XI (SEQ ID NO:11), formula XII (SEQ ID NO:12), formula XIII (SEQ ID NO:13), formula XIV (SEQ ID NO:14), formula XV (SEQ ID NO:15), formula XVI (SEQ ID NO:16), formula XVII (SEQ ID NO:17), formula XVIII (SEQ ID NO:18), formula XIX (SEQ ID NO:19), and formula XX (SEQ ID NO:20).
 19. Process according to claim 18, characterised in that it comprises in addition:(3) cleavage of any probe which has hybridised during the above step (2), using a suitable restriction enzyme.
 20. A method according to claim 19 wherein the restriction enzyme is selected from the group consisting of BanI and BglI.
 21. Method according to claim 18, wherein the detection of the amplified DNA or RNA sequence is carried out using two suitable nucleotide probes, said method comprising in addition: p1 (3) enzymatic coupling of the two hybridised probes; p1 (4) detection of any fragment obtained containing the two combined probes.
 22. Method according to any one of claims 18 to 21 wherein the DNA is isolated from the biological sample during a step prior to the detection and identification steps, by suspending the centrifugation pellet from the said biological sample in a suitable lysis solution, followed by an incubation at approximately 95° C. for a suitable time, the incubation itself being followed by the addition of a buffer solution to the medium, after which the DNA is extracted by suitable means of extraction.
 23. Method according to claim 22, wherein the lysis solution employed is a solution comprising 0.1N NaOH, 2M NaCl and 0.5% SDS.
 24. Method according to claim 22, wherein the incubation is carried out at a temperature of approximately 95° C. for approximately 15 minutes.
 25. Method according to claim 23 wherein the incubation is carried out at a temperature of approximately 95 °C. for approximately 15 minutes.
 26. A ready-to-use kit, outfit or coordinated set for carrying out a method for the detection and rapid identification by amplification and hybridization of small amounts of Actinomycetales selected from the group consisting of mycobacteria, Nocardia and Rhodococcus, possibly present in a biological sample, characterized in that it comprises appropriate amounts of suitable buffers and reagents for carrying out the said detection; suitable doses of a pair of primers selected from the group consisting of an oligonucleotide of formula (IX) (SEQ ID NO:9) (TB-1) paired with an oligonucleotide of formula (X) (SEQ ID NO:10) (TB-2), and an oligonucleotide of formula (XV) (SEQ ID NO:15) (TB-7) paired with an oligonucleotide of formula (XVI) (SEQ ID NO:16) (TB-8); and suitable doses of at least one nucleotide probe comprising an oligonucleotide selected from the group consisting of formula II (SEQ ID NO:2), formula III (SEQ ID NO:3), formula IV (SEQ ID NO:4), formula V (SEQ ID NO:5), formula VI (SEQ ID NO:6), formula VII (SEQ ID NO:7), formula VIII (SEQ ID NO:8), formula IX (SEQ ID NO:9), formula X (SEQ ID NO:10), formula XI (SEQ ID NO:11), formula XII (SEQ ID NO:12), formula III (SEQ ID NO:13),formula XIV (SEQ ID NO:14), formula XV (SEQ ID NO:15), formula XVI (SEQ ID NO:16), formula XVII (SEQ ID NO:17), formula XVIII (SEQ ID NO:18), formula XIX (SEQ ID NO:19), and formula XX (SEQ ID NO:20).
 27. A nucleotide sequence derived from Actinomycetales, comprising a sequence of 383 nucleotides having respectively at its 5' and 3' ends, a sequence of formula (IX) (SEQ ID No:9): 5'GAGATCGAGCTGGAGGATCC (TB-1) and a sequence complementary to formula (X) (SEQ ID NO:10):5'AGCTGCAGCCCAAAGGTGTT (TB-2), and in between a nucleotide fragment of 343 nucleotides of the gene that encodes a 65-kD mycobacterial antigen of Actinomycetales selected from the group consisting of mycobacteria, Nocardia and Rhodococcus.
 28. Sequence according to claim 1, wherein said nucleotide fragment has the sequence of formula (II) (SEQ ID NO:2).
 29. Sequence according to claim 1 wherein said nucleotide fragment has the sequence of formula (III) (SEQ ID NO:3).
 30. Sequence according to claim 1 wherein said nucleotide fragment has the sequence of formula (IV) (SEQ ID NO:4).
 31. Sequence according to claim 1 wherein said nucleotide fragment has the sequence of formula (V) (SEQ ID NO:5).
 32. Sequence according to claim 1 wherein said nucleotide fragment has the sequence of formula (VI) (SEQ ID NO:6).
 33. Sequence according to claim 1 wherein said nucleotide fragment has the sequence of formula (VII) (SEQ ID NO:7).
 34. Sequence according to claim 1 wherein said nucleotide fragment has the sequence of formula (VIII) (SEQ ID NO:8).
 35. The complement of the nucleotide sequence of claim
 1. 36. The complement of the nucleotide sequence of claim
 27. 37. Sequence according to claim 27, wherein said nucleotide fragment has the sequence of formula (II) (SEQ ID NO: 2).
 38. Sequence according to claim 27, wherein said nucleotide fragment has the sequence of formula (III) (SEQ ID NO: 3).
 39. Sequence according to claim 27, wherein said nucleotide fragment has the sequence of formula (IV) (SEQ ID NO: 4).
 40. Sequence according to claim 27, wherein said nucleotide fragment has the sequence of formula (V) (SEQ ID NO: 5).
 41. Sequence according to claim 27, wherein said nucleotide fragment has the sequence of formula (VI) (SEQ ID NO: 6).
 42. Sequence according to claim 27, wherein said nucleotide fragment has the sequence of formula (VII) (SEQ ID NO: 7).
 43. Sequence according to claim 27, wherein said nucleotide fragment has the sequence of formula (VIII) (SEQ ID NO: 8).
 44. Sequence according to claim 28, wherein it comprises the following restriction sites:AccII, AhaII, BanI, BanII, BbvI, Bsp1286, BstXI, CfoI, DdeI, EcoRII, EspI, Fnu4HI, HaeII, HaeII, HapII, HgaI, HinfI, HphI, MaeIII, MboII, MnlI, NarI, NcoI, NlaIII, SacI, SacII, Sau3A, Sau96A, ScrFI, StyI, TaqI, YmaIII.
 45. Sequence according to claim 29, wherein it comprises the following restriction sites:AccII, AflI, AhaII, BanI, BbvI, BglI, Bsp1286, BstEII, BstXI, CfoI, EaeI, HaeII, HaeII, HphI, MaeIII, MnlI, NarI, PvuI, SacII, Sau3A, Sau96A, TaqI.
 46. Sequence according to claim 30, wherein it comprises the following restriction sites:AccII, AhaII, BanI, BbvI, BstXI, CfoI, EaeI, HaeIII, HphI, MaeIII, MnlI, NarI, NrvI, SacII, Sau3A, Sau96A, TaqI.
 47. Sequence according to claim 31, wherein it comprises the following restriction sites:AccII, AhaII, AluI, AosI, BanI, BglI, Bsp1286, BstEII, CfoI, EaeI, HapII, HgaI, HphI, MboII, MnlI, NaeI, NlaIII, RsaI, Sau3A, Sau96A, SfaNI, StyI, TaqI, Tth111I.
 48. Sequence according to claim 32, wherein it comprises the following restriction sites:AccII, AhaII, AluI, AosI, BanI, BstEII, EaeI, EspI, Fnu4HI, HaeII, HinfI, HphI, MboII, MnII, NaeI, Sau3A, StyI, TaqI.
 49. Sequence according to claim 33, wherein it comprises the following restriction sites:AatI, AosI, AhaII, AluI, BbvI, BstEII, CfoI, EaeI, Fnu4HI, HaeII, HapII, HinfI, MboII, MnlI, NaeI, PvuI, Sau3A, SytI, TaqI, Tth111I.
 50. Sequence according to claim 34, wherein it comprises, the following restriction sites:AccII, AhaII, AluI, AosI, BanI, Bsp1286, CfoI, EaeI, Fnu4HI, HaeIII, HgaI, HphI, MaeIII, MboII, MnlI, NlaIII, SacII, Sau3A, Sau96A, SfaNI, StyI, TaqI, Tth111I.
 51. A labeled nucleotide probe having a nucleotide sequence according to any one of claims 1-15, and 37-43.
 52. Sequence according to claim 27, that encodes the expression product having an amino acid sequence of the following formula (I) (SEQ ID NO:1): ##STR15## X₁ -TYR-GLU-LYS-ILE-GLY-ALA-GLU-LEU-VAL-X₂ -GLU-VAL-ALA-LYS-LYS-THR-ASP-ASP-VAL-ALA-X₃ -ASP-X₄ -THR-THR-THR-ALA-THR-VAL-LEU-X₅ -GLN-X₆ -LEU-AL-X₇ -GLU-GLY-LEU-ARG-ASN-VAL-ALA-ALA-GLY-ALA-ASN-X₈ -LEU-X₉ -X₁₀ -LYS-X₁₁ -GLY-ILE-GLU-LYS-ALA-VAL-GLU-X₁₂ -VAL-THR-X₁₃ -X₁₄ -LEU-LEU-X₁₅ -X₁₆ -ALA-LYS-GLU-VAL-GLU-THR-LYS-X₁₇ -GLN-ILE-ALA-ALA-THR-ALA-X₁₈ -ILE-SER-X₁₉ -GLY-ASP-X₂₀ -SER-ILE-GLY-X₂₁ -X₂₂ -ILE-X₂₃ -X₂₄ -X₂₅ -MET-ASP-LYS-VAL-GLY-X₂₆ GLU-GLY-VAL-ILE-THR-X₂₇ -X₂₈ -GLU-SER-X₂₉ in which: X₁ is void or represents the sequence ASP-PRO, X₂ represents LYS or GLU, X₃ represents GLY or ALA, X₄ represents GLY or ARG, X₅ represents ALA or VAL, X₆ represents ALA or ARG, X₇ represents ARG or LYS, X₈ represents PRO or LEU, X₉ represents GLY or SER, X₁₀ represents LEU or PHE, X₁₁ represents ARG or CYS, X₁₂ represents LYS or ALA, X₁₃ represents GLU or ALA, X₁₄ represents THR or LYS, X₁₅ represents LYS or ASP, X₁₆ represents SER, GLY, PRO or THR, X₁₇ represents ASP or GLU, X₁₈ represents ALA, GLY or VAL, X₁₉ represents ALA or VAL, X₂₀ represents GLN or ALA, X₂₁ represents ASP or GLU, X₂₂ represents LEU or PRO, X₂₃ represents ALA or VAL, X₂₄ represents GLU or ASP, X₂₅ represents ALA or GLY, X₂₆ represents ASN or LYS, X₂₇ represents VAL or SER, X₂₈ represents GLU or GLY, X₂₉ is void or represents the sequence ASN-THR-PHE-GLY-LEU-GLN. 